Swift arrest made after 18th homicide

An apparently accidental shooting has left a 23-year old New Haven resident dead in the Elm City’s 18th homicide of 2013.

On Saturday, Shamar Willett was shot once in the chest at his home on Harding Place. When efforts by Yale-New Haven Hospital medical teams failed to keep Willett alive, he became the city’s first homicide victim since 21-year old Deran Maebery was gunned down on October 28. By Monday morning, the New Haven Police Department had apprehended a suspect in the homicide, according to spokesman David Hartman.

“Police have arrested Shunravion Jackson of Norton Street in New Haven,” Hartman said in a press release issued at 10:38 AM. “Jackson was arrested after a struggle with officers as he fled from the scene.”

Jackson, who is 18 years old, now faces charges of second-degree manslaughter and interfering with police. Though in the early stages of its investigation, the NHPD believes that the shooting was unintentional, Assistant Chief Achilles Generoso said at a press conference held on Monday afternoon.

Also at the press conference — which was held at the NHPD’s Union Ave. headquarters — were various members of Willett’s family and NHPD Chief Dean Esserman, who extended his sympathies to them at the podium.

“The New Haven Police stand with this family, as we always do, to show our respect and to make it clear that a young man of this family is a young man of this city, and that we mourn together,” Esserman said.